One Wish
by ShyoB
Summary: With the Other Suzaku warriors reincarnated and the Konan War over, chichiri decides goes back to his vacant village, just to run into another problem. Oh the Irony of it all!


ONE WISH:

His past isn't something that Chichiri was proud of, but that didn't mean that he regretted it, in fact, he missed the majority of it, until everything started to fall apart for him.

Where are you from? That's the essential question. Most people won't bother asking that because where you grew up, you remained there to raise another family, but as for Chichiri, that was a different situation. But how could anyone know where the blue haired monk came from in the first place? And it wasn't any particular place that he came from, but all he knew was that his ancestors migrated from Northern China. Why the Blue hair? No body knows exactly why, other than it was heredity.

Chichiri sat in the back of a wagon full of hay, watching the country scenery, until his eyes landed on a particular place. The last time he came here, which was nearly eight or nine years ago, the village was in ruins. Water flooded and over flowed over the roof tops and stolen the lives of the civilians in the area. Nine years ago, he remembered fighting his best friend, the only guy in the world he trusted his life with, over a girl. To him, at the time, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was also his best friend, until he remembered asking for her hand in marriage. He remembered spending a good fortune to buy a little hair clip for her auburn hair.

_The Market was pretty busy; everyone was hustling in a mad dash to the nearest stores. The Yearly Fish Festival was just around the corner, so anyone who was participating in any performances was buying all the equipment they could afford. Young men and Women were filling the small shops to get their fitting. _

_ "Oh Houjun, I'm so excited!" Kouran chanted, clapping her small slender hands in true excitement. Chichiri smiled," You should be, you'll be competing with professional singers in the next three days" They held hands, swinging it back and forth as they walked in sync with one another. "I know, that's what im worried about, what if I choke up and freeze, then the whole village would laugh at me and mother would have a fit!" His Girlfriend has been stressed about this competition thing for almost two weeks now. All she's been doing was singing any song that comes to mind. Whether it was doing house chores, working, cooking, suing, bathing, or even shopping for food, she'd sing to herself. Other times, when she was alone with Chichiri or Hikou, they'd beg her to sing a verse of a folk song they all like. In all honesty, she could sing better than any ordinary musician. Her late father called it her true calling, he didn't mind if she sang for a living, but her mother did. It took her years upon years to change her mother's opinion on it. Now, if she doesn't do so well, it won't be herself she'll be mad at, but her mother will be furious. _

_ "Singing is your destiny Kouran, I don't know anyone who can sing better than you, and if I do, I'll let you know" he grinned. Her eyes lit up in embarrassment, "Houjun!" her hand rose to smack him. He squeezed his slanted eyes shut, preparing for a dull impact, until a pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek. "You're such a tease!" She chided. Chichiri reopened his eyes, laughing at the ironic. _

_ They had no need for shopping, Kouran managed to get all the things she need before hand, so that cleared her daily schedule to hang with the man she loved most. Just as they were about to pass the last shop in the small district, there was a small glitter that caught her attention. From the corner of her left eye, she spotted a small hair clip. It was black with little intricate designs of flowers, trimmed in gold and periwinkle, the same color of his hair. _

_ Chichiri noticed her sudden stray of attention to the object. The way it made her eyes light up when she saw it, made little annoying flutters in his chest. _

"_Kouran?" the auburn haired girl switched her attention back to him and smiled from cheek to cheek, "Yes dear?" Her voice rang out like little chimes blowing in the cool breeze. Chichiri couldn't help but tackle his love in a big hug and pecks of sweet kisses. "Houjun!" she squealed._

_ "You're too damn cute sometimes!" _

_A day passed since Kouran and Chichiri ventured around the market area. Hikou came early that morning, arriving at their house with an old white bucket, with random cracks around the edges and a fishing pole._

"_Morning!" he yelled, as he passed through the front door. Chichiri washed his hands before greeting his friend from the separate kitchen out back. "Hikou, how are you?" They exchanged their ritual handshake, consisting of touching knuckles and slapping their forearm. Hikou set down his stuff by the wall, near the door and stretched. "Oh I'm fine, where's Kouran?" Chichiri put his index finger in front of his lips, silencing Hikou's loud voice, "Shh… She's sleeping in" Hikou shook his head chuckling, "So you're the one laboring away in the kitchen while she's being a lazy cat in bed?" Chichiri nodded, "ah…you could say that" Hikou couldn't believe his ears. _

_ "Sometimes I don't even know who's the bride, Kouran or you!" That earned him a slap behind his head, "Ouch What the Hell!" _

_The boys turned their attention towards their sleepy, female friend. She was wearing one of Chichiri's thin, long sleeved shirts and one of his shorts that were too baggy on her petite frame. "Don't talk about my future husband that way!" She scolded, but they knew she was joking with them, as they usually done when they were just a bunch of kids running around and making noise in the small village._

_Her menacing frown turned upside down, giggling. "It's nice to see you again, Hikou." The seventeen year old made way to her husband and hugged him good morning. "You could've stayed in bed. I was making us something" Just as he spoke, black smoke flared from outside and spread into the house.  
>"Chichiri, My Kitchen!" She screamed, getting the bucket full of water by the door and flung it at the fire. <em>

_Kouran sat back and supervised Chichiri as he cooked the boiling rice and stir fried fish, just as he insisted on doing earlier that same morning._

_Chichiri hadn't expected the oil from the fish to pop out the pan so his hand received many blistered spots and Hikou laughed each time. Just about everyone knew how to cook the basics, everyone except Chichiri. Even if he did manage to make it, he doubted that it would turn out so great. He only wanted to surprise her…why does life have to be so cruel?_

"_Alright, I'll flip it over." She picked up the wooden spatula and flipped the raw fish on its side, letting the oil from below simmer into its scaly flesh. _

_Chichiri had a small frown on his face, glancing around the room, avoiding to look at her. He was ashamed. Eighteen years old and he can't do the basics to save his life, or his house. _

"_Oh don't be so hard on yourself!" she encouraged. "Not everyone can cook and it's nothing to be ashamed of. It takes patience and good timing. Just like learning Martial Arts."_

"_But Houjun can't boil water to save his life, hahaha!" Hikou laughed. Chichiri rolled his mahogany eyes and laughed too, "Whatever…"_

_A couple minutes later and no one bothered to break the tension in the air, this was the first time they had an awkward silence as this. _

"_So Hikou", she tried. The Nineteen year old glanced up at his best friend's fiancé, "Yea" he answered. The fish was ready, steaming hot and crisp, just how Chichiri likes it, " Hey, that one's for you" Kouran shooked her head, " No you can have it, I'll just have some rice. I wasn't feeling too good this morning." Chichiri frowned, but began to eat it anyways. Kouran set a plate for Hikou too, complete with pepper sauce they keep for him. _

_Hikou picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks and began eating his fill. "What were you about to ask me?" Kouran sat down next to Chichiri, facing his way. "Well…um…nothing really, I just wanted your attention, you seemed a little lost." _

_In truth, Hikou was lost. In about a week his best friend and his childhood crush would be married, having children, and raising a family in the blink of an eye. He used to spend days standing outside her house for hours, thinking about her everyday. And now, there's not a damn thing he could do. Sad thing about it was that he had already proclaimed his love for her, but she couldn't accept it. Chichiri doesn't know anything about it. Now that this is happening all to fast, he doesn't know what to do._

"_Im fine, just a little tired." _

_Chichiri cleaned up their dishes and headed out the door in a simple teal and yellow trimmed blouse and black pants, "I'll be back soon, I have to pick up something from Mr. Gongs residence" he kissed his fiancé and waved to his friend. "Bye! I'll see you!" _

_As the door closed, the room built tension. It was always like this whenever Chichiri's presence is gone. Hikou Sat in the living room, cross legged on the wooden panel floor, sipping on some Honey and Lemon tea. He fingered the fabric in the pillow he sat on. The whole house smelled like Gardenia, just like her. It was intoxicating. She was in front of his view, as beautiful as ever, even without the make up. Her hands fell lifelessly in her lap, not knowing how to break this thick wall of ice that Hikou built. It was uncomfortable and unbearable. _

"_Hey, Hikou?_

"_Yea?"_

"_Let's go"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Outside."_

"_Err…alright…"_

_Kouran grabbed one of his hands and let him out back. Beyond their house, was a cute little prairie that they always played in when they were young. It was a big plain of grass, no flowers, but had rolling hills, and a large tree in the middle of it all. The sun was up just right, the sky was absolutely blue, and a slight breeze made the day perfect._

_Kouran glanced at the tree, remembering sharing her first kiss with Chichiri, when he proposed to her. The two friends sat at the base of the tree, looking up at the sky, full of clouds. "Hikou, do you remember the day I met you?"_

"_Of coarse I do, what kind of question is that?" _

"_You were a funny looking girl, with freckles and the frizzy hair, and super skinny, like all you had was bones!" she rolled her pretty hazel eyes._

"_And you were a silly looking boy with missing teeth and had ears to big for your head!" she glared. _

_Hikou laughed, "But at least I didn't have nervous ticks, I would hate to take that nasty pill every day" he teased, twitching his neck like how she used too._

_That earned him a punch in his arm, "That's not funny Hikou!" _

_ Hikou chuckled as he rubbed his swollen arm. "But I have to say," Kouran looked up expectantly at him, "you turned out just fine…" and that's when Hikou gave in, leaning his head closer to hers finally releasing all his tension…_

_Chichiri waltz back toward his residence after his brief visit from 's, the village festival coordinator. Without His fiancé's consent, he spent his share of this week's income by spending it on his girl. Right after he spotted Kourin eye at those clips at the corner jewelry shop the other day, Chichiri met up with Mr. Gong and managed to get it from him, since he's not only the coordinator, but her also import those fine accessories as well. The clip on the other hand, was more intricately detailed and ornate than the cheaper one Kouran and he spotted. This one was thin and black, with a glass clay cherry blossom flower, along with the decorating silver beading at the end of them. _

_He stepped into the house, the scent of the humidity from outside in the market made him smell musky. He glanced around the living room, only seeing an empty cup of tea and noticed that the back door was cracked open, just enough for him to know that the two people he was looking for was gone. _

"_Hikou…Kouran?" _

_He walked out the back door and scanned the open fields, hearing the small fits of laughter from behind the tree that stood out like a green mass in the middle of all the plain grassy hills. Silently, he skipped in the grass, careful not to make his feet crunch on the grass that it blew away his cover. The gift he bought for Kourin was tightly clasped in his hands; all the excitement of surprising them overcame him. _

_Slowly, he then turned from behind the tree, grinning like the fool he was…_

The cart bolted up from the front, jolting Chichiri to sit up straight from his relaxed position on the soft and grass smelling hay. "You're Stops here, the Shoryuu village, right?" Chichiri grabbed his staff, leaping off the cart, "Thank-you" he bowed. The old farmer man climbed back on his cart and struck his mule with a whip, "Ride on Betsy!" and the old man took off, humming his little songs.

Chichiri stretched his long, lean limbs before stepping onto fine, red dirt. He looked on into the overgrown weeds that used to be nicely trimmed and displayed the village's name that was carved into stone, Shoryuu. After nine long years, of the death of his fiancé and best friend, family and friends, the great war of Konan, and the duty he displayed as a Suzaku warrior of 6 others, he finally made it back.

"Welcome home Houjun…"


End file.
